Let’s back up a little to when I was a kid. We had toys. We had plenty of them, too. My parents always made sure we had what we needed. We (my sister and I) had plenty of Barbie dolls, Barbie clothes, and any other accessory you could imagine. We had plenty of other toys, too. But we didn’t have too much.

And yes, I really do believe there is such a thing as too many toys.

We also didn’t have the things that your typical kid/pre-teen/teen have today. Cell phone? I got my own cell phone when I turned 18 and left for college. TV? I had a small black and white one in my room that tuned into one local channel — I was able to watch baseball games, the news, and Wheel of Fortune. Computers?? I didn’t have my own computer until I was in college and living in a dorm and even then — my then-boyfriend (now my hubby) built for me out of spare parts.

I was not spoiled one bit. And I liked it that way. I’m thankful for my parents raising me that way. Now, I appreciate what I have and my husband and I have worked hard for what we have. I have to admit that I get a little disgusted when I see that there are 3 years olds with cell phones and 5 year olds with their own lap tops. Should they learn how to use them? Of course. Should they be bought their own Ipad when they’re 6 years old? I don’t agree with that.

So when we had our baby boy we heard lots of “thoughts” from different people. Most commonly, “Don’t spoil him.”

We didn’t. When he was a baby baby he didn’t have ANY toys. Maybe a teddy bear. By 3 or 4 months we had maybe purchased a rattle. By 6 months we picked up one or two more things. By 8 or 9 months we purchased a xylophone and one other thing. Then for Christmas, he got a decent amount of toys.

Some of those toys included:

Lighting McQueen Rocking “Car”, Tool bench, & Recycling Truck.

These were all of the toys we bought for him. Not a ridiculous amount.

And these, from my mom and my grandma.

There was a little bit more, but that’s the majority of the toys he got. Lots of musical toys, Fisher Price stuff, and almost every one teaches him something.

Anyways, so now his birthday is only a couple of weeks away. And we wanted to get him something, but didn’t want to go overboard because he DOES have toys now.

So I went hunting on Amazon. And I found 3 toys that I’m happy with. The first is a pot and pan set with a spoon — made by Green Toys. Made in the USA, BPA free, and made of recycled materials. I’m SUPER excited to find that. (The reason I’m not going into detail is because I will be reviewing it after he receives it for his birthday.) I also found a set of ‘stacking cups’ by the same company. Perfect for an almost one year old baby. And I also got him a mini dustpan and broom set from the company Melissa & Doug (will review that, too).

I’m really excited that a great friend told me about the Green Toys company, who makes their items out of recycled goods — and made in the USA! I can’t wait to review their products.

To end this here — what kind of toys do you prefer for your little ones? We have toys in 2 places in our home — one group in the living room, one group in the baby’s room. There is not a HUGE amount — I could easily box them up in only a few large boxes, if that. But I feel that he has enough to occupy him — and the most important part? We play with the toys with him. He’s not left alone in the living room with a pile of toys to play on his own. Every day I sit down with him and we just play. Have fun. Enjoy each other. Learn.